Each short book begins with practice of sounds and words that will be used in that book. After the story, there are words to practice before moving on to the next story. In certain books, there is also a "Looking Back" assessment that will review sounds and words from previous books. Each book also has margin notes to remind the teacher to give positive praise and to ask questions to make sure the student is understanding the passage he read. You can get a free sample book here.

The Queen's Assessment:

Having never used a formal reading program, I didn't know what to expect with this review.

It was very easy to use. The placement and assessment manual was very helpful in helping us determine with which set of books to start. The prince originally tested lower than I thought he would. After a couple of books at that level, I re-assessed him and placed him higher.

We both loved this program. The prince enjoyed the stories, and I enjoyed watching him read without complaining. We made it part of our regular school time and not something that we would get to later in the day. Many times, he would choose to do reading as his first subject of the day. I've also noticed that he is attempting to read bigger words in everyday life ... without being prompted.

The prince did not like the "Looking Back" assessments. I think this had more to do with his not liking "timed" events. He could read fine and often finished before the allotted time with few or no errors.

I'm already thinking about when to start the princess on this program. Right now, she is learning some 3-letter words and trying to read books and papers that are meant for much older students. I think I feel a summer school project coming on!

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free trial of the program with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

I have been looking for something that will give the prince some math practice without being all worksheets and flash cards. I was so glad to get the chance to review Math Rider. This fun computer-based game gives students a chance to practice basic facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The game is set up as a student riding a horse through the MATHLANDS on a quest for various things. In the way, are hurdles that must be jumped. Each hurdle has a math equation attached to it. For the horse to successfully navigate the jump, the rider has to solve the equation before the rider gets to it. The computer responds to the student. If the student is answering quickly, another hurdle will appear. The faster the student answers, the more points he receives. There are bonus points for answering a certain number of equations in a series and for answering all questions quickly.

The Queen's Assessment:Like I said, I was really looking forward to this review. I thought the prince would jump at the chance to do "computer games" instead of worksheets.

Our first attempt at Math Rider was met with excitement. We tried for one session. He made it through 2 parts of the first quest. Remember how I said the computer responds to the speed of the answers given? Well, once the horse reaches the hurdle, the next problem is presented. This proved to be a challenge for the prince. During the third part of his first quest, the computer actually suggested that he ask for help. I think he gets a little anxious about timed events. Add to that a struggle to get the right answer, and he was frustrated.

So, we took a break for a couple of weeks and focussed just on getting the basic facts right with worksheets, flashcards, and a homemade game. I studied the simple user's guide for Math Rider, and found out how to re-set it to start at the lowest level. When the prince came back to Math Rider, he was much more confident and was able to continue. He found that he was getting extra points for answering quickly and that made it all the more fun.

A report of progress is listed at the top of each quest as you go. In addition, as each ride is completed, a series of bars is presented to show how the student did. The green bars are for problems completed with no problems and red bars are for problems missed. The student can click on the red bars to see which problems they should work on. By just rolling over the bars, a window will indicate if you were slower than your previous time answering that problem.

At the starting point, there is a map of how far the rider has gone on the present quest. There is also a cue for practice runs, and a progress report. Again, parent/teacher and student can see which problems need more practice.

When our review period is over, I will seriously consider using this for more math practice. We do have subtraction, multiplication, and division to get to.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free trial of the program with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

Format: downloadPrice:$97.00 for Both$15.00 per year for just Kid Scoop News(classroom-size orders are also available) THIS IS A SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE

Both come with a 365-DAY

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

Are you still waiting for your child to fall in love with reading? Well, the Reluctant Reader Solution is here to help. It is 365 fun-filled pages of activities, games, puzzles, and more to get your child excited about reading. Included in the Reluctant Reader Solution, is Kid Scoop News. Set up like a child's newspaper, it also offers profiles, activities, games, and more to pique your child's interest in the written word. Many sections of the newspaper offer correlations to standard benchmarks in education.

The Queen's Assessment:The Reluctant Reader Solution is a pdf download. It is full of great mini-lessons to get your child interested in reading. Each lesson is 5-7 pages long and will give you 365 days of fun learning for your child. There are a wide variety of subjects from holiday, critters, sports, health, animals, and more. There is something for everyone! I plan to keep these handy for this summer. We won't be on our regular school schedule. I think these will help to keep the prince doing some educational activities without thinking he is "doing school."

Kid Scoop News was our favorite part of this review. You can see a black and white sample here. This comes as part of the Reluctant Reader Solution or can be purchased separately. Kid Scoop News can be viewed online in its entirety, but should probably be printed off to make it easier to complete the activities.

The jokes and games really appealed to the prince. He loves mazes and word searches, and there were plenty to keep his attention. At a special introductory price of $15 for 12 issues per year, this is a great bargain to keep the "I'm bored" whines at bay!

Another handy component of the Kid Scoop website is the email sign up. You can get 30 FREE exercises and ideas to make reading fun. You will receive one tip per day directly in your email box.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free trial of the program with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

I remember a time when the prince was in Kindergarten or First Grade that he asked a question that I just always took as fact. I never questioned it. I just knew that it WAS. I never asked "why?" or "how?"

It was right around Easter. He asked, "How could God kill his own son?" I didn't know how to answer. I asked a group of people at church. They didn't know. I guess that none of us had faced that question from such a young child.

I was reminded of it just now as I reviewed a Czech film, entitled MOST. This short (33-minute) DVD reminded me of the self-sacrifice of God's own son as a way to save others. From the movie's website:

MOST, the Czech word for "The Bridge," is a fitting title for this 21st century parable about a loving father, his young son, and the fateful day when they attempt to head off an impending rail disaster. Hundreds of passengers aboard an oncoming steam train are completely unaware of the danger that looms as they head toward an open drawbridge. As a desperate young woman witnesses an act of mercy beyond imagination, her life is changed forever -- as are the lives of all who see this film. Both heart wrenching and glorious, MOST vividly portrays the greatest offering of love, sacrifice, hope, and forgiveness known to man.

While I thought this was a great film to remind us of God's love, I don't recommend it for younger children as it does contain mature subject matter. Also, most of the film is in the Czech language and is subtitled in English. A younger child may have trouble keeping up with the reading.

This DVD will be released to Christian retail stores and online retailers on March 1, 2011. However, as a reader of my blog, you can win one before then.

The winner will receive a DVD that includes:

MOST (33-minute film)

Making of MOST (32-minute feature)

Bonus Scenes

Extended ending

Introduction and Commentary by evangelist Luis Palau

Study Guide

Scoring Session 1

To enter the drawing for this film, just leave a comment below. Short and to the point -- Just like the film.

Entries will close at 6:00 a.m. EST on February 18, 2011. I will contact the winner by email and your DVD will be sent to you by the sponsor.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This week, he was watching Sid the Science Kid. Prince Charming came in and and a conversation started about the show. I can't remember what Prince Charming said, but I said something about how Sid likes to learn. The prince said, "He's not real AND he's a muppet."

****

The big excitement of the week was the truck that Prince Charming picked up for a friend. We are babysitting the truck and Prince Charming will deliver it to his out-of-state friend in a couple of weeks. In the meanwhile, the prince is keeping a close eye on when the truck comes and goes. He has been airing it out and even checked under the hood. Then, he asked Prince Charming, "Why does it have a joystick?" I guess he was too young to remember Prince Charming's previous truck that had a manual transmission.

Several times, he asked about Prince Charming's previous trucks and why we don't still have them. So, we discussed trade-ins and why you don't keep everything. Prince Charming made some crazy comment about it being time to trade me in. The prince looked at me with wide eyes.

Me: Do you want to trade me in and get a new mommy?

Prince: (thinking)

Me: (indignantly waiting)

Prince: We'll come visit you at the orphanage.

****

I'm linking to Tiny Talk Tuesday so you can see what other cute things the children are saying.

This week, he was watching Sid the Science Kid. Prince Charming came in and and a conversation started about the show. I can't remember what Prince Charming said, but I said something about how Sid likes to learn. The prince said, "He's not real AND he's a muppet."

****

The big excitement of the week was the truck that Prince Charming picked up for a friend. We are babysitting the truck and Prince Charming will deliver it to his out-of-state friend in a couple of weeks. In the meanwhile, the prince is keeping a close eye on when the truck comes and goes. He has been airing it out and even checked under the hood. Then, he asked Prince Charming, "Why does it have a joystick?" I guess he was too young to remember Prince Charming's previous truck that had a manual transmission.

Several times, he asked about Prince Charming's previous trucks and why we don't still have them. So, we discussed trade-ins and why you don't keep everything. Prince Charming made some crazy comment about it being time to trade me in. The prince looked at me with wide eyes.

Me: Do you want to trade me in and get a new mommy?

Prince: (thinking)

Me: (indignantly waiting)

Prince: We'll come visit you at the orphanage.

****

I'm linking to Tiny Talk Tuesday so you can see what other cute things the children are saying.

I know that it is February. February means Winter, but hasn't this winter been something? Places that never get snow were shut down because of snow. On our December trip to Florida, we were colder than if we'd stayed home. I don't even know if the groundhog saw his shadow. (The prince and princess were sick this week and ... I generally don't take advice from groundhogs!)

I don't know about you, but I have been thinking about warmer weather. The bulk of our cow herd will be calving, strawberries will be in full production, the sun will be shining, and the kids will be spending more time outside. We really have been needing some swing sets for kids around here. We had one once, but after the first good storm, we found it in the cow pasture.

So, I did a rough sketch for our handyman/friend, the Duke of Pearl. (It is to be a surprise, so I told the prince it was a trellis for my Morning Glory vines.) The Duke of Pearl hasn't started work on it yet. So, I've still been looking for ones already put together. Well, last night, I found this one and this one through csnstores.com.

I don't know about you, but just planning for Spring makes it seem that much closer. What do you do to get ready for Spring?

Format: CDPrice:$39.95You can use the coupon code TOS2011 to get Roman Town for $19.96! This coupon expires on February 21, 2011.

Do you have a boy who likes to dig in dirt? Have you ever wondered if maybe you had a budding archaeologist on your hands? Now is your chance to hone those skills. Dig-It! Games has created a great computer game that lets students be archaeologists while learning about Roman life.

We received a downloadable version of this game for our review. The prince has wanted to play it ever since!

In the game, you are invited to go on a dig with the professor. He gives you tools and manpower to dig the site. He marks the dig sites with little flags. As each man finds an artifact, he sends a signal. You click on the signal and use a "click and drag" motion to remove the final layer of dirt. Then, you read an explanation of the item you found.

When you have excavated the entire site, you have to sort it in the lab. You then do various tasks to compare, reconstruct, tour, play and report on your finds.

The Queen's Assessment:As I mentioned, the prince loved this "game." tee hee hee I thought the subject matter was going to be over his head, but he stuck right in there and was even explaining some of the artifacts and terminology to Prince Charming the first evening of the review.

The reading was too much for him. Granted, the target audience is 8+ and he is only 7. There were some big words and some knowledge of Latin pronunciation is helpful. I think this would have worked a lot better for us if there were a voice-over in the program to read the text. In the lab portion, where he has to file a report, the text is more of a script font and I think would be hard for most younger children to read.

Just for the record, the princess loved this program too. She would sit right beside the prince and get so excited when he found something.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free trial of the program with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.